How did Vrinda become the sacred Tulsi plant?

After cursing Vishnu, Vrinda entered a funeral fire to immolate herself in grief. The Skanda Purana describes how the Devas, including Brahma and Vishnu himself, took seeds and sowed them in the ground where her pyre had burned. From her ashes, three plants shot up: the Myrobalan (Dhatri), the Jasmine (Malati), and the sacred basil (Tulasi). Lord Shiva blessed Tulasi, declaring she would become the most important constituent in the worship of the gods and would perpetually remain with Vishnu in sacred union. The Devi Bhagavata Purana additionally identifies Tulsi as an incarnation of Maha-Lakshmi, making her worship equivalent to worship of Lord Vishnu himself.